Rwanda Adoption

Children of All Nations is not accepting applications for Rwanda at this time. Effective August 31, 2010, the Rwandan Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion (MIGEPROF) temporarily suspended all new applications for intercountry adoptions to prepare for accession to the Hague Convention.About Rwanda, the “land of a thousand hills,” is located in East Africa. This region has tremendous potential, as it is one of the most secure, stable and predictable countries on the continent. Rwanda’s capital, Kigali, retains the feel of a garden city, with a pleasing organic character shaped by the verdant slopes over which it sprawls. Among the safest and friendliest of African capitals, Kigali is green with beautiful landscapes; its streets are clean and neatly decorated with flower beds and plants. President Paul Kagame makes it a priority to keep his country clean, so he instructs every citizen to go out and clean the public streets on the last Saturday of each month.We are pleased that Rwanda plans to ratify their Hague status! This means that Rwanda has proven to have a secure, stable, and, most importantly, ethical adoption program. Rwanda’s progress will allow even more children the opportunity to find their forever families. CANfeels very privileged to be a part of this effort to provide international adoption services as well as aid for the children of Rwanda that impacts the quality of life for the country. CAN’s Rwanda Adoption Program is a good option for prospective adoptive parents looking for a relatively quick process. For prospective adoptive parents, if you plan to adopt a child over the age of four, you must practice the Catholic faith (because children over four are baptized). If a child is younger than four years old, you do not need to be Catholic.

The Rwanda government adoption authority, the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion, has temporarily suspended accepting new applications while implementing the Hague convention.

If you would like more information about our Rwanda program, our adoption consultants are standing by to help! Call us today at 1.877.827.5226 or send us an email!

Children Available

Children are available for adoption in Rwanda as a result of abandonment, extreme poverty or the death of one or both parents. These children remain in orphanages until they are placed with a family for adoption. When selecting a child, consider that you may adopt the following:

Boys and girls from 6 months to 15 years

Two or more siblings at one time

Two or more unrelated children at one time

If you would like more information, please give us a call today at 1.877.827.5226 or send us an email!

Rwanda Adoption Requirements

In addition to the U.S. Government eligibility requirements for prospective adoptive parent(s), Rwanda has the following eligibility requirements. If you feel you are not eligible to adopt from Rwanda or you are unsure, we may be able to work with you. Please contact us for a free case-by-case consultation regarding your Rwanda adoption.

Citizenship: One adoptive parent must be a US citizen.

Age: Adoptive parents must be between the ages of 25-50. One parent must be at least 30 years old.

Marriage Status: Married couples are eligible to adopt if they have been married at least five years.

Previous Children: In most cases, only families with two or fewer children will be considered.

Criminal History: Applicants with a criminal history of driving while intoxicated, child abuse, violence or domestic violence are not eligible to adopt. Please contact us if you have any criminal history involving the use of alcohol.

Rwanda adoption eligibility requirements are subject to change per Rwanda’s adoption laws. CAN updates these guidelines as necessary.

If you would like more information about our program, our specialized adoption consultants are standing by to help! To have your questions answered, call us today at 1.877.827.5226 or email us.

Adoption Timeline

The time frame to complete international adoption from Rwanda is currently about 12 to 15 months, depending on the time families take to complete their dossier paperwork, their preferences for age and gender, and country processes. This time frame for Rwanda adoption is subject to change and may increase upon Rwanda receiving Hague status; please consult CAN for the most current processing times for your adoption from Rwanda.

Cost Overview

Our Rwanda adoption fees are among the lowest available. We strive to keep costs low so that we may help as many children as possible find their loving, forever family.

Children of All Nations is not accepting applications for Rwanda at this time. Effective August 31, 2010, the Rwandan Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion (MIGEPROF) temporarily suspended all new applications for intercountry adoptions to prepare for accession to the Hague Convention.

The Process

1. Application and Approval

To adopt a child, please complete our agency application. For your convenience, you may access the application online. If you have any concerns about eligibility requirements, please contact us before filling out this application. We will review your eligibility to adopt from Rwanda based on the guidelines of Rwanda’s adoption eligibility requirements once we have received your application. If approved, we will provide you with our agency contract that outlines our fees, services and important information regarding the international adoption process. Upon receipt of your signed contract, CAN will start to provide you placement services for children from Rwanda.

2. The Paper Chase

Once your agency contract is in place, you will be assigned to an adoption counselor and begin assembling your dossier. This will include a home study, which will assess your readiness for international adoption from Rwanda and help prepare you for adoptive parenthood, filing with USCIS for international adoption approval, and gathering your dossier documents. These dossier documents must go through the appropriate notarization and certification. Your dossier will be reviewed and assembled at our headquarters in Austin, TX, before being sent to the Rwanda adoption authorities for approval. CAN offers a complete Elite Dossier Service to ease your international adoption process and give you peace of mind.

To ensure that prospective adoptive parents are prepared for their international adoption journey, our agency requires that parents complete 10 hours of adoption training as mandated by the Hague Convention. To satisfy these hours, we have developed an online parent training program that we are proud to include in CAN’s service plan. For an overview of the program, please click here. Please contact us for more information regarding adoption from Rwanda.

3. Identifying a Child

Once your dossier is approved by the Rwandan government, a child is identified based on your preferences for gender, age and health status. You will receive a description of the child, including the child(ren)’s history, medical test results and photos with your referral.

4. Picking up Your Child

You can expect to travel to Rwanda in less than three months from the time you receive your referral. Only one trip is required. The duration of your stay in Rwanda can range from 10 days to three weeks. Once your international adoption is finalized by the court, you will travel to Rwanda to pick up your child, then travel to Nairobi, Kenya, to complete the U.S. visa process for your child(ren). CAN will assist you with your travel preparations, schedule your flights and arrange all accommodations. We will also ensure that while you are in Rwanda, an experienced CAN Guide will be with you every step of the way of your Rwanda adoption process.

5. Post Adoption Requirements

Post adoption reports must be submitted six months, 12 months, and 18 months after your international adoption from Rwanda is complete. These reports demonstrate to the Rwandan government the benefits of international adoption for their children.

Orphanage Information

The Rwandan government only works with orphanages that are registered with and approved by the Ministry. Only children living in these approved orphanages are available for international adoption. Orphanage caretakers, or “Mammas,” are often widows who lost their entire families during the Rwandan Genocide. Working with children in orphanages allows these women to regain a sense of family while providing the orphaned children with the love and care they need and deserve. These relationships have certainly contributed to the stabilizing trend in Rwanda. Most orphanages in Rwanda maintain a low child to caretaker rate to ensure each child receives the necessary care.

Unlike so many in Rwanda, children living in orphanages are among those fortunate enough to receive ample nutrition, medical care, and education. Thorough medical records are kept to be made available for adoptive parents. Child Profile Reports, which include all relevant medical and developmental history, are completed and shared with adoptive families. Photographs of the children will also be shared with families at the time of referral.

Children of All Nations is not accepting applications for Rwanda at this time. Effective August 31, 2010, the Rwandan Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion (MIGEPROF) temporarily suspended all new applications for intercountry adoptions to prepare for accession to the Hague Convention.

Resources

Hague Adoption Glossary

Click here to review important terms related to adoption and The Hague Convention.

Children of All Nations (CAN), operated by Great Wall China Adoption, is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization based in Austin, Texas. Since 1996, Children of All Nations has assisted may international countries in placing more than 9,000 children with forever families. Between the headquarters located in Austin, Texas and our sister offices all over the world, we work on behalf of families each day to be experts at exceeding Hague international adoption requirements and adoptive families’ expectations.

*Unless otherwise noted, the children appearing in the photographs on this site are not eligible for adoption or are stock images.